Energy storage updater – February 2020

Energy storage in emerging markets – lessons learned from mature markets

The 2020s are expected to mark the decade in which stationary battery energy storage will become an intrinsic part of generation, transmission, distribution, mini-grid and off-grid technology. Costs are decreasing rapidly and the technology is maturing. In emerging markets, energy storage systems offer an opportunity to displace diesel fired power generation with often abundant renewable resources, and to provide reliable electricity supply in markets where centralised grids are not well developed. In this context, we consider what learnings from more mature power markets may be transferrable to ensure the more successful integration of storage systems in an emerging market context.

Experience in more mature power markets has highlighted the need for considered inclusion of energy storage within energy and fiscal regulatory frameworks. The nature of storage, in both charging and discharging electricity, may mean that a storage facility is treated both as a consumer and a generator of electricity within the traditional framework of existing energy regulations. Recognition of the characteristics of an energy storage facility is required in regulatory frameworks, to exempt storage from certain obligations or adjust these to accommodate its unique characteristics. However, in doing so, the definition of energy storage becomes important. Regulators in emerging markets may wish to consider future proofing their regulatory frameworks to enable the opportunity to use abundant solar and other renewable resources in the production of other new energy carriers (such as ‘spilling’ renewable electricity from a solar PV plant to make green hydrogen).

Another issue considered in mature power markets has been who should own energy storage assets. Should these be part of the grid network owner’s regulated asset base, or owned independently on an independent power producer (IPP) basis? There is no right answer. Instead, consideration must be given to the function which the energy storage system will perform in the market and to the optimal revenue model for the storage system. Alongside the issue of ownership, is that of control. Usage is directly related to the life-cycle costs of the storage system, particularly for battery storage systems. In emerging markets, it is generally appropriate that the risk of how the storage asset is used over time is allocated to the grid system operator because their influence on the storage system (directly or indirectly) is greater.

The choice of ownership model is also intrinsically linked to the revenue support for storage assets. If a storage asset sits within a network owner’s asset base, it will be incentivised through the network owner’s regulated revenues. Under an IPP model, the tariff structure will require consideration and will affect the usage of the storage system. Ownership and revenue models also have a significant influence on the methods of financing storage systems.

Mobilising investment into energy storage businesses and projects will necessarily require the industry to address environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues such as safety, environmental and climate change impacts, supply chains and end of life strategies. ESG factors have long been an area of focus for development finance institutions (who are traditionally the main lenders in emerging markets), but are increasingly rising up the board agenda in every sector. In emerging markets, particularly, given vulnerability to ESG issues, the replacement of thermal baseload and grid reinforcement with battery storage cannot therefore be viewed in isolation of the battery lifecycle – from extraction of mineral raw materials through to battery demobilisation.

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Technology and corporate news

Global

Energy storage market at “risk of contracting”

Wood Makenzie’s Global energy storage outlook, Q3 2019, reported that the global storage market had slowed, particularly in South Korea and China due to incidents of fire and regulatory change respectively. Australia’s storage market was however on track to hit targets in 2019 and is expected to grow three-fold in 2020. The US market is expected to recover from a slowdown in 2019, accelerating in 2021, driven by large-scale utility procurements targeting GWs of storage, often paired with renewables, over the next three to five years. New opportunities are needed in the UK and German markets, with balancing and behind-the-meter applications seen as having potential. Forecasts were for 4 GW of energy storage to be deployed globally in 2019, increasing to 15 GW in 2024. In terms of chemistry, nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide batteries are expected to proliferate as prices reduce with new manufacturing capacity coming online.

Record US$105m of funding approved by ADFD under the IRENA/ADFD Project Facility

The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) confirmed the allocation of approximately US$105m for eight renewable energy projects in developing countries in the seventh cycle of the IRENA/ADFD Project Facility. Two of these projects include a storage element. In Cuba, a project will receive an ADFD loan of US$20m to install 8.5 MW of solar PV capacity, supported with 2 MW of energy storage, in Isla de la Juventud. In Saint Lucia, the 10 MW Troumassee solar power station, battery storage and setting up solar energy systems in the country, will receive an ADFD loan of US$15m.

Estimating the carbon footprint of utility-scale battery storage

As the ability to store intermittent power has become the focus of utilities in recent years, there has been increasing interest in the carbon emissions associated with battery usage in storage applications. Forbes tackles the question in this article. In order to determine a project’s carbon dioxide emissions, it is necessary to consider: (1) emissions associated with building the batteries; (2) emissions associated with charging and discharging the batteries; and (3) emissions associated with recycling or disposing of the batteries. The IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute reviewed carbon emissions data for lithium-ion batteries (the commonly used NMC battery pack) and found that mining and refining of battery materials, combined with cell production and assembly comprised an overall carbons emissions range of 59-119 kg CO²-eq / kWh of battery capacity, with a midpoint of 89 kg CO²-eq / kWh. Recycling and disposing of batteries was not considered in this study, however an EU study reported that 12 percent of emissions of a lithium-ion battery’s lifetime occur at the end of life stage.

Africa and the Middle East

Azelio’s energy storage power production goes live in Morocco

Azelio, in cooperation with the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy, has inaugurated a verification project of its thermal energy storage solution in Morrocco that enables distributed and dispatchable electricity at all hours of the day using recycled aluminum as storage media. The Swedish company has also agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding with Hussein Atieh & Sons Co. to set up a small-scale project in Jordan. Azelio plans to deploy about 25 MWe of its technology until 2023. The commercial collaboration will start with a 50 kWe project in 2020 following with 3 MWe in 2021, 7 MWe in 2022 and 15 MWe in 2023.

175 MW / 15 MWh storage system for solar plant at gold mine in Mali

Wärtsilä will supply Canadian gold miner B2Gold with a 17 MW / 15 MWh energy storage system to be combined with a 30 MW solar power plant at the Fekola gold mine in Mali, which is expected to reduce heavy fuel oil consumption by 13.1 million litres per year. The energy storage system will be based on Wärtsilä’s GEMS software, which relies on artificial intelligence and automated decision-making based on real-time data to maximize the efficiencies and ensure the lowest levelized cost of the electricity for the mine.

Taiwanese firm aims to supply batteries for Turkey's solar and wind plants

New storage units are expected to be required by renewable power plants which have exceeded ten years of support at the end of 2020 under YEKDEM, Turkey’s renewable energy feed-in-tariff scheme. The Taiwanese energy storage and solar manufacturer United Renewable Energy (URE) aims to supply Turkey with systems to store electricity from wind and solar plants while generators wait for the introduction of a new program. URE’s energy storage products use lithium iron phosphate batteries, which are lower in energy density and are reportedly safer than other batteries.

Eni and ETAP inaugurate Adam new photovoltaic plant in Tunisia

Eni Tunisia BV inaugurated a new off grid photovoltaic plant in Tunisia in cooperation with the national company, Entreprise Tunisienne d’Activités Pétrolières (ETAP). The photovoltaic plant has a maximum capacity of 5 MW and includes a 2.2 MWp / 1.5 MWh storage battery system that will facilitate integration with existing gas turbines and ensure optimization of operating costs.

African Development Bank provides €18m loan to Chad for financing of 4 MWh storage for solar park

The African Development Bank has provided a €18m loan and a partial risk guarantee for the financing of the first phase of a 60 MW solar-plus-storage power project in Chad. The project will include a 4 MWh battery system for network stabilization. Aldwich International Limited and Smart Energies will develop the projects under a public-private partnership with the national utility, Société Nationale d’Electricité, and the Chadian government.

Asia Pacific

Maoneng and AGL sign deal for 200 MW / 400 Mwh of battery storage capacity

Australian developer Maoneng has entered into a power purchase agreement with AGL for the supply of 200 MW / 400 MWh of battery storage capacity in New South Wales under a 15-year contract. Four facilities, due to be completed in 2023, will supply enough capacity for up to 30,000 homes to be used during peak demand periods or when renewable energy supply is low. AGL will be able to call on capacity as required from the Maoneng batteries at a fixed price between 2023 (when the facilities will be operational) and 2038.

Philippines sees new 2 MW battery energy storage system from Meralco and Hitachi

According to local reports, a 2 MW / 2 MWh battery energy storage system has been installed on the Philippines’ largest island, Luzon. The facility, a joint project between Meralco, a Philippines power utility, and Hitachi, has been billed as the country’s first grid-scale distribution-connected battery storage system. The project follows shortly after the release of guidelines from the Philippines' Department of Energy that endeavors to better promote and regulate energy storage systems in the Southeast Asian state.

Wärtsilä celebrates contract award for new energy storage project in South East Asia

Finnish power company Wärtsilä has signed an EPC contract for a new energy storage project to be constructed in a yet-to-be determined location in South East Asia. The 100 MW / 100 MWh facility will include Wärtsilä’s advanced energy management software platform GEMS, used for various grid support applications including voltage and frequency regulation and reactive power support. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is committed to increasing its percentage of primary power from renewables and it is hoped that this new facility will help provide greater grid reliability to support the region’s transition to renewable sources.

Total inaugurates New Caledonia’s largest solar power plant with energy storage

Total subsidiary Total Quadran has inaugurated the Hélio Boulouparis 2 project, the largest solar power plant with energy storage in overseas France. The plant, comprised of more than 58,000 solar panels and a lithium-ion storage system of 10 MW, seeks to improve the quality and reliability of New Caledonia’s national grid. The plant has installed capacity of nearly 16 MWp, enough to cover the energy needs of over 21,000 residents of New Caledonia

Akuo bags 6 MW battery storage project in Tonga

Akuo Energy has been awarded a contract to construct a 23.4 MWh / 6 MW energy storage system in Tonga. Akuo Energy will partner with grid operator Tonga Power Ltd to develop the Tonga 2 energy storage project, which endeavors to assist with consumption load shifting. The storage system will work with the Tonga 1 project, which seeks to improve grid stability, in an attempt to reduce Tonga’s diesel consumption and increase its proportion of power from renewable sources to 50 percent in 2020.

Europe

LG Chem battery gigafactory in Poland to be powered by EBRD

LG Chem will be constructing the first fully integrated battery gigafactory in Europe to produce all electric vehicle (EV) battery components with a long-term loan of €250m from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). With a total investment of €2.8bn in three stages, when completed in 2022 the factory in Poland is expected to reach a production capacity of around 65-70 GWh a year. Separately, Total, via subsidiary Saft, and Opel are considering gigafactories in France and Germany. The plans will be executed via a new joint venture called Automotive Cell Company. The total investment could exceed €5bn, with €1.3bn of public funding committed from both the French and German governments and the European Union.

EDF buys energy storage EV charging firm Pivot Power

EDF Renewables has announced the acquisition of British start up Pivot Power, Pivot Power plan to install batteries directly connected to the high-voltage transmission system with a total capacity of 2 GW which will also provide support for hundreds of rapid EV chargers. Battery storage and EV rapid charging infrastructure will help EDF reach their target of 10 GW of additional storage by 2035.

Gore Street Energy Storage awards contracts for Northern Ireland projects

NEC Energy Solutions has been awarded fixed-price EPC contract and 15 year operation and maintenance contracts by Gore Street Energy Fund in respect of 100 MW of energy storage projects in Northern Ireland. Under the contracts, NEC Energy Solutions will construct two 50 MW projects at Drumkee in County Tyrone and Mullavilly in County Armagh. The two projects, are expected to derive revenue from the new Delivering a Secure Sustainable Electricity System (DS3) program.

The Balkan’s welcomes its first Tesla utility solution with a Jesenice storage system in Slovenia

Energy storage start-up NGEN announced the launch of a €15m 12.6 MW / 22.6 MWh grid balancing battery system in northwestern Slovenia which it says will provide enough grid ancillary services to support 250 MW of renewable energy generation capacity. The system utilizes Tesla’s Powerpack battery systems combined with artificial intelligence delivering grid balancing services and power exchange trading. The company also intends to develop a second battery system in Slovenia before July 2020 and also offers residential storage systems which can use its grid balancing technology.

Zenobe secures £25m in funding from Santander

Zenobe has secured a non-recourse £25m debt facility from Santander, following the successful £35m equity raised from JERA Co Inc. and TEPCO Power Grid Inc.. The capital raised from the debt facility will be invested in new grid-scale battery storage projects, providing Zenobe’s services to the fleet vehicle sector to meet climate change targets and offering behind-the-meter services to commercial and industrial companies to improve power supply and reduce energy cost. Zenobe is one of the UK’s first battery storage companies to successfully raise debt financing for projects that trade on a predominantly merchant basis, rather than longer term contracted income.

ABB unveils modern production plant for energy storage systems in Baden, Switzerland

ABB has opened a new plant in Switzerland to make energy storage systems for mobility applications: railways, eBuses, trolleybuses and eTrucks. The storage systems utilize the latest lithium-ion technology. The products produced are characterized by their high energy and power density as well as their long service life. Many countries across Europe currently don’t have electrified railways. Energy storage systems offer transport operators the possibility to convert diesel trains to hybrid vehicles, cutting emissions by 30 percent, and to retrofit vehicle fleets to cut emissions.

UK firm announces plans for first 'liquid to gas' cryogenic battery

Highview Power plan to develop a cryogenic battery that has the capacity to store energy for months. The technology uses renewable electricity to chill air to -196°C thereby transforming it into a liquid that can be stored in large tanks. The liquid can be turned back into a gas when renewable electricity output is low and used in a turbine to generate electricity. The battery has a capacity of 50 MW or 250 MWh over a five-hour release time and is estimated to cost about £110 / MWh of electricity using a 200 MW system. This follows a successful 5 MW pathfinder project that was established in 2018 with funding from Innovate UK.

Total's Saft to supply lithium-ion system to Finnish wind farm

Finnish zero-subsidy wind farm Viinamäki, commissioned by developer Tuuliwatti Oy in 2019, will be combined with three lithium-ion batteries with a combined storage capacity of 6.6 MWh to service as backup system and optimize the wind farm’s output. Total confirms the facility will be the largest of its kind in the Nordic region. The batteries provide a fast response in challenging environmental conditions providing the wind farm with stability and the ability to adjust the wind farm’s output immediately.

Dutch wind farm operator contracts Greener Engineering for ‘mobile’ stationary batteries

Dutch renewable energy retailer, GreenChoice, has partnered with German engineering start-up, Greener Engineering, to turn containerized energy storage systems into mobile power sources. Ten mobile systems, with a total capacity of 3,360 kWh, form the latest project and will be charged by GreenChoice’s wind farms. The mobile batteries can be charged in 43 minutes, and can be “wheeled” to customers who need a mobile or emergency power source.

North America

New York approves 316 MW battery plant for peak power, first of its kind in the region

New York’s utility regulator has formally approved the construction of a 316 MW battery storage plant that, once completed, will replace fossil-fuelled capacity in New York City. The plant will be the largest battery plant in the state, providing emissions-free power to the region during those hours of greatest demand. The battery project, at the Ravenswood Generating Station along the East River in Long Island City, Queens, could have enough capacity to discharge for up to eight hours.

Texas to home Danish wind leader Ørsted’s new 40 MW / 40 MWh battery

Ørsted has announced that it has commenced construction on the company's first utility-scale solar-plus- storage project, the 460 MW Permian Energy Center. The facility, located in Andrews County, Texas, will come online in mid-2021. The Permian Energy Center will comprise 420 MW of solar PV and 40 MW of battery storage located on a 3,600-acre site alongside existing oil and gas installations, and will supply growing West Texas demand for electricity.

JFK Airport’s solar-plus-storage project awarded to SunPower and Goldman Sachs

SunPower Corp and Goldman Sachs Renewable Power Group will build New York City’s largest solar and storage plant at the site of John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced that the 13 MW system, developed in partnership with the New York Power Authority, would include 7.5 MW of battery storage. The plant also features a 6.1 MW community solar facility to help the surrounding airport communities to access clean energy at reduced rates, with the rest of the solar power produced to be used onsite at JFK.

Completion of Goderich Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage Facility in Ontario marks first successful commercialization of fuel-free compressed air storage technology

Hydrostar, leading developer of Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) projects has announced the completion of the Goderich A-CAES Facility, located in Goderich, Ontario, Canada. The plant, constructed in partnership with energy storage project developed NRStor Incorporated, is a world first for the commercialization of fuel-free CAES technology. The facility will be used for peaking capacity and ancillary services in the merchant energy market to support grid reliability.

Convergent Energy + Power delivers North America’s biggest behind-the-meter battery storage system at a Shell oil refinery in Sarnia, Canada

Energy storage solutions provider Convergent Energy + Power (Convergent) has announced the delivery of two Shell Canada Products facilities in Ontario, Canada. The energy storage projects, totalling 21 MWh of industrial battery storage, are joint ventures between Convergent and Shell New Energies. The plants are designed to reduce energy consumption by one third of typical demand while simultaneously increasing the reliability and long-term sustainability of the grid.

KORE Power intends to build 10 GWh battery manufacturing plant in the US

Leading energy storage solutions developer KORE Power has announced plans to build a lithium-ion battery manufacturing plant in the US to support its patented 1TM Energy Storage System (1TM). The new one million square foot facility will be used to manufacture and produce the 1TM using state-of-the-art, fully automated battery assembly lines and processes. Once completed, the plant will have 10 GWh of highly scalable manufacturing capacity that will meet the rapidly growing market demand for customized industrial battery solutions.

Highview Power and Encore Renewable Energy to co-develop the first long duration, liquid air energy storage system in the US

Energy storage developer Highview Power Storage has announced plans to partner with renewable energy generation developer Encore Renewable Energy to develop the US’s first long-duration, liquid air energy storage system. This facility will have a minimum capacity of 50 MW, provide in excess of eight hours of storage (that is, 400 MWh) and will be located in northern Vermont. In addition to supplying clean, reliable, and cost-efficient energy storage, the facility will look to integrate renewable energy to the area’s transmission system and help stabilize the regional electrical grid.

NV Energy gets green light for solar-battery projects

Nevada regulators have approved NV Energy’s plan to add almost 1.2 GW of solar capacity and 590 MWh’s worth of energy storage capacity. The new projects are part of NV Energy’s integrated resourced plan, and will see the utility provider partner with leading developers 8minute Solar Energy, EDF Renewables, Quinbrook Infrastructure partners and Arevia Power.

Policy and regulatory news

Global

Why power prices will inevitably fall, then look like Charlie Brown

Power prices will inevitably fall as more wind and solar comes on line and pushes baseload power out of the market but energy storage will eventually keep prices relatively stable, according to a senior BloombergNEF (BNEF) analyst. Batteries can play in two markets: the ancillary services market, which is relatively small, and the power market through arbitrage. BNEF is forecasting that large-scale solar will provide opportunities for storage.

Africa and the Middle East

The Energy Regulatory Commission in Mayotte has selected two new centralized energy storage projects (French language)

As part of a second round of call for tenders related to centralized energy storage, the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) in Mayotte has selected two lithium-ion battery projects, having a combined capacity of 11.4 MW. The projects will require €33m in public service charges, however the CRE estimates that Total Solar’s Longoni Storage I (4 MW / 2 MWh) project and Albioma Services Network’s ASR Mayotte RC (7.4 MW / 14.9 MWh) project, will save €72m in additional generation costs, which represents €39m of savings over the next 25 years.

Abu Dhabi’s Fund for Development seeks solar and storage with US$105m grant for renewable energy projects

The Abu Dhabi Development Fund has earmarked US$105m in grant money to renewable energy and storage projects in eight developing countries. The funding comes as the last stage of a co-sponsored initiative with the International Renewable Energy Agency, and will see storage-backed solar projects in Cuba and Saint Lucia receive US$20m and US$15m respectively, with the remaining funds supporting renewable energy projects in Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Chad and Burkina Faso.

Abu Dhabi project eyes breakthrough in energy-storage tech

A partnership between Swedish solar-energy company Azelio, the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, and Khalifa University of Science and Technology will see a novel energy storage pilot project deployed to test its suitability for wide-spread commercial use. Azelio’s technology is based on a Stirling engine and provides on-demand, distributed, base-load thermal electricity storage. The pilot will power the Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium’s air conditioning.

Asia Pacific

India is going to need more battery storage than any other country for its ambitious renewables push

The International Energy Agency (IEA), in partnership with NITI Aayog, the government of India’s policy think tank, has conducted its first in-depth review of India’s energy policies for the World Energy Outlook 2020 series. The report stresses the importance of renewables to meet India’s rapidly increasing electricity demand, and champions the country’s concerted focus on solar PV / battery storage hybrid systems, declaring it one of the most cost-effective technologies to provide affordable electricity to isolated communities.

New South Wales’ A$75m “Emerging Energy Program” shortlists 21 capital projects

The New South Wales government has launched the Emerging Energy Program, a A$75m initiative supporting the development of innovative, large-scale electricity and storage projects in the state. The program promotes the diversification of electricity supply via emerging technologies and renewable sources, and has shortlisted for funding 21 capital projects totalling more than 700 MW of on-demand capacity, including 14 focused on battery storage and dispatachable energy systems

Singapore aims for 200 MW of energy storage beyond 2025

The Singapore Ministry for Trade and Industry has targeted 200 MW of energy storage by 2025 and 2 GW of solar PV energy by 2030, equivalent to 10 percent of the city’s peak daily electricity demand. The announcement is the latest in a line of state initiatives to better manage the stability and resilience of the country’s power grid with peak-shaving solutions. The vision, partly driven by greater demand for solar energy installations in the coming years, seeks to reshape Singapore’s existing energy consumption metrics, which is currently heavily reliant on natural gas.

Australia announces new A$1bn Grid Reliability Fund to finance new generation, storage and grid reliability infrastructure

The Federal Government of Australia has established the A$1bn Grid Reliability Fund to support governmental investment in new energy generation, storage and transmission infrastructure, which will include future projects eligible for shortlisting under the Underwriting New Generation Investments (UNGI) program. The fund, administered by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), looks to unlock private sector investment for projects that both simultaneously secure the power grid and place downward pressure on prices.

India allocates 1.2 GW in the world’s largest renewable energy storage tender

Greenko Energy Holdings and ReNew Power were awarded 900 MW and 300 MW of renewable energy capacity in the world’s largest renewable energy-cum-storage tender issued by the Solar Energy Corporation of India. Developers were required to bid separate tariffs for peak and off-peak periods – Greenko Energy Holdings secured a peak period tariff of Rupees (Rs) 6.12 / kWh (US¢4.02 / kWh) and an off-peak period tariff of Rs 2.88 / kWh (US¢4.02 / kWh), and Renew Power a peak period tariff of Rs 6.85 / kWh (US¢9.57 / kWh) and an off-peak period tariff of 2.88 / kWh (US¢4.02 / kWh). Projects must be fully commissioned within 24 months of signing the power purchase agreement.

Europe

ScottishPower lifts lid on major solar, wind, battery storage hybrid strategy for UK and Ireland

ScottishPower has confirmed plans for a new hybrid power strategy that involves co-locating wind, solar and battery storage on new and existing sites. The utility has more than 1 GW of new onshore wind farms in the pipleline, and intends to include solar and/or battery storage at the majority of those sites. Scottish Power has received government approval to install a 50 MW battery storage facility at the Whitlee wind farm in June 2020. ScottishPower unveiled a £2bn investment program for large-scale battery and EV infrastructure in February 2019.

Growth “soars” in UK energy storage

According to research by RenewableUK, 10,500 MW of battery storage planning applications have been made in the UK in 2019, compared with 6,900 MW in 2018, with the average project size rising slightly to 28 MW from 27 MW. Projects include 600 MW of compressed air or liquid air storage, as well as gravity-based storage, flywheels, and dense liquids. The market has grown rapidly, and now sees more than 450 companies involved in the sector (up from 300 in 2018), however renewable developers remain at the forefront of the market.

Europe’s storage market set to grow, along with merchant risk

According to Wood Mackenzie’s Global energy storage outlook forecasts 4 GW / 8 GWh of worldwide storage installations in 2019, increasing to 15 GW / 44 GWh in 2024. However, Europe’s energy storage sector must get comfortable with merchant risk before it can utilize new opportunities. Europe’s front-of-meter, large-scale storage market is shifting away from contracted revenue and frequency markets are saturated. Instead tapping into the balancing market means developers must embrace merchant risk, and is likely to require access to an aggregator. Behind-the-meter, the residential energy storage market is predicted to spread across Europe, with Germany continuing to dominate, Italy coming in second, and Spain falling slightly behind.

Shut out of UK’s Capacity Market, battery storage registers as DSR instead – and wins

Over 100 MW of battery storage assets in the UK were awarded one-year capacity agreements in the T-3 Capacity Market auction by listing as demand side response (DSR) assets, bypassing de-rating factors that were attached to battery storage assets in 2018. Provisional results show a total of 533 MW of DSR (proven (124 MW) and unproven (409 MW)) were successful. Notably, it is the first time battery storage assets have secured large-scale DSR-related capacity agreements, with Anesco and Eelpower included in the DSR-related capacity agreements.

North America

DOE launches Grand Challenge to accelerate US energy storage supply chain deployment

Initiative to develop large-scale energy storage technologies. The program, managed by DOE’s Research and Technology Investment Committee, seeks to position the US as a global leader in energy storage utilization and exports. One key goal of the initiative is to secure a domestic materials manufacturing chain independent of foreign sources by 2030.

Utility and government stakeholders urge Maryland regulators to consider the climate and grid benefits of energy storage

A Maryland energy storage working group, comprised of utility and government stakeholders, has requested that state regulators create new value streams for energy storage projects. The working group filed an application with the Maryland Public Service Commission, seeking compensation for energy storage projects based on a project’s ability to reduce emissions and defer the need for distribution grid upgrades. The filing also proposed valuing non-quantifiable value streams, such as energy storage’s ability to boost adoption of EVsby serving as additional charging stations.

FERC approves first compliance filings on landmark storage rule

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the first two orders implementing Order No. 841, the landmark storage rulemaking aimed at breaking down market barriers to electricity storage. Order No. 841 aims to increase participation of storage resources in capacity, energy and ancillary service markets by mandating organized wholesale power markets to revise tariffs and establish participation model rules. FERC found that the Southwest Power Pool and PJM interconnection generally complied with the rule, but provided additional directives for further action.

California finalizes plan shifting key energy storage incentive toward blackout resilience

Fornia regulators finalized plans to direct more than US$500m in behind-the-meter battery incentives over the next four years. These funds would be directed to customers most at risk of being impacted by grid outages caused by wildfires. Most of the funds derive from the state’s Self-Generation Incentive Program, which will now direct 63 percent of its US$830m in new funding through 2024 to a new “equity resilience budget”. California’s recent history with power outages and increasingly attractive economics indicate a growing market for residential battery systems.

California to explore non-lithium energy storage technologies

The state of California has announced a US$11m grant for the development of new and emerging technologies to meets its goal of being carbon free by 2045. The state has set aside US$9m of the US$11m dollars for non-lithium power storage technology, which includes flywheels, flow batteries, advanced-chemistry batteries, compressed air systems and thermal storage systems. An additional US$2m will be set aside for the development of green electrolytic hydrogen storage systems.

Trump administration lowers import tariffs on Chinese batteries

Trade deal in early January. The tariff on batteries will fall from 15 percent to 7.5 percent from February 14, 2020. Almost all of the battery capacity installed in the US is imported, with about 40 percent of US lithium-ion battery projects for grid storage imported from China alone. The reduction has come in response to a Phase One trade agreement, however continuing negotiations between the two countries will likely lead to further policy interference in the energy storage marketplace.

Top five energy storage trends of the year

Trends identified include continued cost reductions in lithium-ion technology; with prices predicted to fall 45 percent by 2021. Bloomberg New Energy Finance has observed an 18 percent reduction in price for each doubling of cumulative volume, meaning that an average battery pack could be only US$94 / kWh by 2024 and US$62 / kWh by 2030. In the US, utility adoption of energy storage and associated grid management technologies has been strengthened by regulatory decisions and cost reductions. Other trends include increased scrutiny of safety regulations, following the explosion at an Arizona Public Services facility, and integration of storage systems with eMobility and renewable energy.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Brazilian solar attracts Chinese investors

Chinese companies are increasingly looking at the solar PV market for international expansion, with a total of 1.3 GW of solar distributed generation added to the country’s grid in 2019 alone. Despite the anti-environmental stance of President Jairo Bolsonaro’s government, various Brazilian state organizations and regulators have thrown their support behind the renewable energy boom taking over South America’s biggest country. Although wind power is still the leading renewable energy technology in Brazil, rapidly falling manufacturing costs together with more efficient solar panels means that solar energy is slowly catching up.

Industry events

Energy Storage Summit, London, UK – February 25-26, 2020
Energy Storage Summit, Fort Lauderdale, US – March 3-4, 2020
Australasian Oil & Gas Exhibition & Conference: Renewables and Energy Storage, Perth, Australia – March 11-13, 2020
6th Residential Energy Storage Forum, Munich, Germany – March 31-April 2, 2020
Energy Storage Summit: Latin America, Bogota, Colombia – April 28-29, 2020
7th Residential Energy Storage Forum, Sydney, Australia – June 23-25, 2020

Focus on energy storage

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